Electro-plating



Aug.27, 1929. Q L MMG A 1,725,877

ELECTROPLATING Filed Sept. 22. 1926 Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

STATES PATarori-ica OBGAB In. G, F CANTON, 0HIO,ASSIGNO TO THE TI'MKENEGLLEB IBARING COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ELECTRO-PLATIN@ Application fled September 22, 1926. Serial No. 187,039.

My invention relates to a device for holding articles in proper relationto the anode during the process of electro-plating. Its principalobjects are to provlde for the assembling of hollow articles in the formof a tube concentric with the anode; and to provide for the circulationof the plating bath and the escape of gas therefrom. The inyentionconsists principally in an article assembling cage hereinafter describedand claimed. It also consists in the combination of such cage with theanode; it also consists in the combinations and arrangements of 4partshereinafter described.

ln the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, andwherein like reference numerals refer to like parts whereever theyoccur,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of my device with a tubular seriesof hollow articles indicated in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the l1ne 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and

. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the locking device.

My device comprises a top plate 1 and a bottom plate 2 secured togetherby rods 3, 3c that are preferably three'in number and equldist-ant froma common axis. Some (preferably two) of these rods have their endsreduced to pass through holes provided therefor in the top and bottomplates respectively, which plates bear against the shoulders thus formedon the rods. The lower plate has a pair of lugs 5 extending from itsmargin, and

on them is mounted a horizontal pintle 6 thatA passes through theflattened lower end of one of the cage rods whereby said rod 4 ispivotally mounted on said lower plate between said lugs. rihe upperplate has a pair of outwardly pro'ecting lugs 8 arranged to serve as aguide or the upper end of said pivotal rod; and the upper end of thispivotal rod has a notch 9 in its side that permits it to straddle themarginal portion of the upper plate. The lugs of said upper plate havein their upper edges slots 10 that incline down- A wardlyand outwardlyand are of ahsize to rethe top plate, the leverage action of the handleintended for the escape of the electro-plating ceive the -pintle 11 of acam or bent lever 12.

This bent lever comprises a cam arm 13 and a handle arm 14, the cam armbeing slightly longer than the straight line distance between the pintleof the cam or bent lever when mounted in said slots, and the pivotalrod, when said pivotal rod is in its locked position. In lockedpositions, the cam arm inclines downwardly from the pintle on one -sidethereof and the handle arm inclines downwardly on the other side. Bythis arrangement, the locking device may be quickly mounted or removed;and when mounted', it serves to press the pivotal rod into properengagement with arm tending to hold said locking device .in

position.

' The top plate has a large hole 15 extending therethroughl and locatedcentrally with respect to the cage rods. The lower portion of this holeis of smallerdiameter than the upper portion thereof, thus forming anannular .shoulder 16. Extending downwardly through the hole in the topAplate is a hollow sleeve 417 whose upper end is provided with acircumferential rib 18 that overlaps said shoulder 16. The lower end ofsaid sleeve has a Screw thread on its outer surface on which is mounteda ring nut 19. Surrounding the sleeve is a, helical spring 20, one endof which bears against the lower surface of the top plate and the otherend of which bears against said ring nut. Opposite said spring thesleeve is provided with radial perforations 21A iiuid and thegasesgenerated in the process of electro-plating.

The top surface of the upper plate is recessed to receive a plate 22through which an insulating bushing 23 extends into the upper portion ofsaid sleeve. The lower plate has a centrally disposed hole'24 extendingtherethrough with the lower portion of smaller diameter than the upperportion to form a shoulder 25 for thesupport of an insulating 95 bushing26 that extends through said hole.

The lower end of this bushing is screw threaded for engagement with athreaded ring 27 that is provided with a circumferential flange 2 8 bywhich it is secured to the lower 100 side of said lowerplate. The anode29 extends through both the upper bushing and the lower bushlng, itslower end belng smaller than the diameter of the lower bushlng so as toleave an annular channel 30 b etween them. The portion of the/anodeoppos1te the upper bushing is provided with a porcelain tube 31 forinsulation. The top portion of the anode is suitably connected to a busbar 32 connected to a suitable source of electric power. The second busbar 33 is suitably connected to the top plate, which in turn iselectrically connected through the cage rods to the bottom plate so thatthe cage or holding' devlce, to-

gether with the work therein, functions as central alinement with eachother and with the anode. In assembling such cones, or similar work, theanode is first withdrawn endwise, and the pivotal rod of the cage isre'- leased and swungdown. The cones are then placed in the cage withthe lowermost cone resting on the lower plate with its circumference incontact with the two fixed rods of the cage. The other cones aresimilarly placed one above the other so as to form a substantiallycontinuous tube, against the uppermost of which the spring presses thesleeve, thereby clamping the assembled cones firmly together. Thepivotal rod is then swung into place and locked with the locking devicewhereby any cones that may be out of alinement are forced into properposition. The cage thus `filled and and locked is then placed in thebath and the anode is inserted therein in axial alinement with saidcones. n

In addition to the simplicity of my device and the readiness with whichthe work can be assembled and locked therein, my device contributesgreatly to the uniform plating of the work, because the annular channelaround the lower end of the electrode and the perforations of the sleeveabove the work assure a continuous current of the plating bath and acontinuous elimination of the gases generated in the plating process. Atthe same time, the axial arrangement of the anode with respect to thesurfaces to be plated contributes greatly to the uniformity of theplating.

The foregoing description is with respect to articles that'can beassembled endwise to form a substantially imperforate tube. When it isdesired to electro-plate the interior of hollow articles whose sides areperforated or notched, they are assembled as hereinbefore described butthe entire device with the articles assembled therein is then enclosed'in y a hollow open-ended shell 35 (indicated ink broken lines) whoselower end fits over the lower plate of the appliance tightly enough toinsure an adequate'current of the bath inside of the work.

Obviously the appliance hereinbefore described admits o`f considerablemodification without departing from my invention and I do not wish to berestricted to the details thereof.

What I claim is 1. A device for positioning and holding in endwiseabutment tubular articles to be electroplated internally which comprisestop and bottom members and rods connecting the same, said rods beingequidistant rom a common axis and one of them being pivoted to one ofsaid members and detachably connected to the other member whereby theclosing of said pivotal rod centers said articles in the form of acontinuous tube in contact with all of said rods.

2. A device for positioning and holding in endwise abutment tubulararticles to be electroplated internally which comprises top and bottomAmembers and rods connecting the same, said rods being equidistant fromacommon axis, one of them being pivoted to one of said members anddetachably connected to the other member whereby the closing of saidpivotal rod centers said articles in the form of a continuous tube incontact with all of said rods and a locking device for locking saidpivotal rod in position.

3. A work holding device for use in electroplating comprising 'endmembers and rods connecting the same, one of said rods being abutmentendwise to form a continuous channel in alinement with said holes. i

5. A work holding device comprising end members having alined holestherethrough and rods connecting the same and equidistant from the axisof said holes, one of said rods being movable for insertion of the work,one of said end members having a spring-pressed sleeve exten-dingthrough its hole for resiliently holding the work, and said sleevehaving lateral perforations.

6. A device for use in electro-platingthe interior of tubular workcomprising a work holding cage having openings through the ends thereofand an anode extending vthrough said openings and spaced from' the wallsthereof, said cage comprising end members having alined holestherethrough and rods connecting the same and equidistant from the axisof said holes, one of said rods being movable for insertion of thework', one of said endA members having a spring-pressedsleeve extendingthrough its hole for resiliently holding the work and said sleeve havinglateral l0 perforations.

Signed at Canton, hio, this 7th day of September, 1926.

OSCAR L. MAAG.

